Carton closure



June 15, 1965 R. M. HAYGEMAN CARTON CLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 10, 1963 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY June 15, 1965 R. M. HAYGEMAN 3,189,250

CARTON CLOSURE Filed Dec. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I4 I5 24 INVENTOR.

ROBERT M. HAYGEMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,189,250 CARTGN CLOSURE Robert M. Haygeman, 1W9 Reed St., Green Bay, Wis. Filed Dec. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 329,529 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-4'7) My invention relates to fastening means, and more particularly, to an improved carton closure for holding the flaps of a container in open or closed positions.

One object of my invention is to provide a reusable carton closure which may be used to temporarily hold the flaps of a corrugated carton or other similar container in a closed position.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a carton closure which may also be used to temporarily hold the flaps of a carton in an open position.

A further object of my invention is to provide carton closures which do not interfere with the easy stacking of cartons held closed by such closures. 1

An additional object ofmy invention is to provide carton closures which can secure the ilaps of a carton in a closedpositionfrom either the ends of the carton or from between the end flaps of the carton.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the principles of the invention has been selected for exemplification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top view of my novel carton closure.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the carton closure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the first step of one method of temporarily closing the flaps of a carton with the carton closure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view showing one way of using my carton closures to secure the flaps of a carton in closed position.

FIG. 5 is a partial section view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a second way of using my carton closures to secure the flaps of a carton in closed position.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing how the flaps of a carton may be held open by my carton closures.

My carton closure 10 is an appropriately bent, single length of wire or rod. A preferred material for the rod is steel spring wire, but any suitable material may be used.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the closure 10 has three basic parts, an elongated leg 11, an arcuate portion 12, and a substantially triangular portion 13 comprising the three legs 14, and 16. The arcuate portion 12 connects the leg 11 and the leg 14 of the triangular portion 13, maintaining the leg 11 in spaced relation to the plane of the triangular portion 13. Carton flaps or other objects to be held by the closure 10 slide between the leg 11 and the triangular portion 13.

The legs 14-, 15 and 16 are substantially co-planar. Preferably substantially isosceles or equilateral, the triangular portion 13 is substantially laterally symmetrical with respect to the leg 11, as shown. The elongated leg 11 is preferably bent slightly, as shown, to form an apex 17 near its midpoint. The apex 17 is the point on the leg 11 nearest the plane of the triangular portion 13.

The apex 17 of the leg 11 is located slightly below the plane of the triangular portion 13, as viewed in FIG. 2, and the point in the plane which is closest to the apex 17 preferably lies within the area of the plane enclosed by A hook or limits of the triangular portion. The tip 20 of the hook 18 is preferably located slightly further from the plane of the triangular portion 13 than is the apex 17 of the leg 11.

The arcuate portion 12 supplies a spring effect to the closure 10. If the leg 11 and the triangular portion 13 are spread further apart by the insertion of an object between them, the spring effect of the arcuate portion 12 tends to force them back to their normal positions. That returning force causes the closure 10 to firmly grip carton flaps or other objects located between the leg 11 and the triangular portion 13.

My carton closure 10 has at least two distinct uses. It may be used to secure the flaps of a carton in open position, as shown in FIG. 7. It may also be used to secure the flaps of a carton in closed position, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. FIGS 4 and 6 illustrate two different ways of using my closure 10 to close the flaps of a carton.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a typical carton 22 has a pair of inner flaps 23 and a pair of outer flaps 24. To close the carton 22, the inner flaps 23 are folded to their closed position. The outer flaps 24 are then folded over theinner flaps 23. When folded to close the carton 22, the ends of the inner flaps 23 are widely spaced, while the ends of the outer flaps 24 are in abutment.

A first way in which my carton closures 10 may be used to hold the flaps 23 and 24 in closed position is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. First, the leg 11 is inserted under the free end 23a of one of the inner flaps 23. Next, the outer flaps 24 are folded to their closed position, if they are not already in that position. The closure 10 is then slid toward the inner flap 23. Thetriangular portion 13 rides on the top of the outer flaps 24, the arcuate portion 12 travels between the abutting ends of the outer flaps 24; and the leg 11 slides along the underside of the inner flap 23. The closure 10 stops when the arcuate portion 12 meets the inner flap 23. The spring effect supplied by the arcuate portion 12 presses the inner fiap 23 and the outer flaps 24 together. As shown in FIG. 5, the pressing force is primarily applied by the apex 17 of the leg 11, and by all three legs of the triangular portion 13. In the same manner, a second carton closure 10 is used to clasp the outer flaps 24 to the other inner flap 23.

My closure 16) may be used as described to temporarily seal a carton 22 regardless of the initial position of the inner flaps 23. When the inner flaps 23 lie approximately parallel to the bottom of the carton 22, the leg 11 easily slides beneath them. If the inner flaps 23 bend toward the bottom of the carton 22, as shown in FIG. 3, the edge of each flap 23 is simply caught with the hook 18 and pulled to the position approximately parallel to the bottom of the carton 22. Once the flaps 23 have been raised to that position, and in the same motion without letting loose of the flaps 23, the closures 10 will easily slide beneath the flaps 23 to secure the outer flaps 24 and the inner flaps 23 in their closed position.

A second way in which the closure 10 may be used to temporarily close a carton 22 is shown by FIG. 6. To so close the carton 22, the hook 13 is used to pierce an opening 25a in each side 25 of the canton 22 from which an inner flap 23 extends. The opening 25a is located slightly below the fold 26 for the inner flap 23 and in approximate vertical alignment with the abutting ends of the outer flaps 24. The closure 10 is attached to the carton 22 by pushing the leg 11 through the opening 25a pierced in the side 25. When completely inserted, the triangular portion 13 presses against the tops of the outer flaps 2 1, while the leg 11 presses against the underside of the inner flap 23. The engagement of the closure 10 with the flaps 23 and 24 is similar to that shown in FIG. 5, except that the leg 11 extends through the opening 25a in the side 25 of the carton. The construction of the hook 18 is espeamazes cially adapted to easily pierce the opening 25a in the carton 22.

A carton is more easily packed and unpacked when the flaps 23 and 24 are held against the outer surfaces of the sides of the carton 22. As shown in FIG. 7, my carton closures may be used to so hold the flaps 23 and 24. A closure 10 is slid over each flap and the side from which it extends. The closure 10 engages the side and the flap in the manner shown by FIG. 5.

My carton closure 10 has several advantageous features. One is its versatility. It may be used to secure the flaps of a carton in an open position and it may be used in two different ways to hold the flaps closed.

Another feature is its compact, efficient construction. When used to close a carton in either of the two ways discussed, only the co-planar triangular portion 13 lies above the outer flaps 24. My carton closure 10 has no parts which project extensively beyond the surfaces of the outer flaps 24. Consequently, cartons securely closed by my closures 10 may be easily stacked. In addition, the hook 18 has the advantage of being adapted for quickly piercing a carton which is to be closed by the carton closure 10 in the way illustrated by FIG. 6, and for pulling a downwardly bent inner flap 23 to proper position for attachment of the carton closure 10 as shown in FIG. 3.

It is understood that my invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A carton closure comprising:

(a) a rod having a first portion, a second portion, and

an arcuate portion,

(b) said first portion having three substantially coplanar legs bent in a substantially triangular outline, and being substantially laterally symmetrical with respect to said second portion,

(c) said second portion comprising a single leg having a connected end and a free end,

((1) said arcuate portion connecting said first portion and said connected end of said second portion, and maintaining the leg of said second portion in spaced relation to the plane of the legs of said first portion, and

(e) said free end of said second portion extending substantially beyond the area of said plane enclosed by the legs of said first portion, and having a hook projecting from said free end toward a point in said plane which lies outside the limits of said area enclosed by the legs of said first portion.

2. The invention described in claim 1 wherein the leg of the second portion is bent so that an apex is formed near the mid point thereof, said apex being the portion of said leg closest to the plane of the legs of the first portion, and wherein the point in said plane which is closest to said apex lies within the area of said plane enclosed by the legs of said first portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 140,300 6/73 Ogden 24-81 1,162,559 11/15 Bott et al 24-49 1,624,514 4/27 Smith 24-49 1,862,836 6/32 Vance 24-84 1,990,467 2/ 35 Blustein 24-49 2,012,222 8/35 Curran 24-49 2,375,374 5/45 Lepp 24-261 X 2,463,306 3/49 Potts 229-47 X 2,582,502 1/52 Nagler 229-47 X 2,828,905 4/58 Frizzell 229-47 X 2,950,514 8/60 Small 229-47 X FOREIGN PATENTS 598,392 5/60 Canada JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner, 

1. A CARTON CLOSURE COMPRISING: (A) A ROD HAVING A FIRST PORTION, A SECOND PORTION, AND AN ARCUATE PORTION, (B) SAID FIRST PORTION HAVING THREE SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR LEGS BENT IN A SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR OUTLINE, AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LATERALLY SYMMETRICAL WITH RESPECT TO SAID SECOND PORTION, (C) SAID SECOND PORITION COMPRISING A SINGLE LEG HAVING A CONNECTED END AND A FREE END, (D) SAID ARCUATE PORTION CONNECTING SAID FIRST PORTION AND SAID CONNECTED END OF SAID SECOND PORTION, AND MAINTAINING THE LEG OF SAID SECOND PORTION IN SPACED RELATION TO THE PLANE OF THE LEGS OF SAID FIRST PORTION, AND (E) SAID FREE END OF SAID SECOND PORTION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND THE AREA OF SAID PLANE ENCLOSED BY THE LEGS OF SAID FIRST PORTION, AND HAVING A HOOK PROJECTING FROM SAID FREE END TOWARD A POINT IN SAID PLANE WHICH LIES OUTSIDE THE LIMITS OF SAID AREA ENCLOSED BY THE LEGS OF SAID FIRST PORTION. 